The Sound of HeartAche
by RaineLuinil
Summary: The perfect Elite Bodyguards. Before they had to kidnap the Uchiha vessel, before they met Naruto, what was their life like? How did they became the ones they are now?
1. READ THIS FIRST!

**Befote Chapter 1… READ!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters or the concept. They are © to Kishimoto Masashi, etc, etc.

Comments: Yay! My second Fanfic! I wasn't sure if to post this before or after finishing 'Learn to Live Again', but I needed to write something else.

This happens long before their appearance in the manga, but it gets connected afterwards. And there will be some action (Though I've never wrote about fighting before) and I'll try to make it as good as possible.

Again, comments and critiques will be welcomed. If you got any question, feel free to ask!

Thank you for stopping by and go read Chapter 1!

RL


	2. Chapter One

**The Sound of Heartache**

**1. Colorful Pentagram**

So proud had they been to be the Five. So proud to serve one of the three greatest ninjas of the entire world. Never to disobey him, and very happy for having been chosen by him. Of all the world's ninjas, he had chosen them.

Their master was far more powerful than the five of them together, but he had still considered having them by his side. He even founded a village to gather his followers.

They were the Sounds.

Orochimaru-sama had done it all by himself. Everyone in his village was so devoted to him that they would die if he asked them to. But this devotion also came with fear. The fear of being useless to him. This was punished with a painful death. Nobody had ever made him mad or anything, but they knew well what would happen if they did. Though Orochimaru never spoke about this, it was clear.

His favorites were like his word and will to the rest of the sound ninjas. And they were six: the Five and Kabuto, his right hand. Nobody knew how this was possible, but it was almost obvious that Kabuto was also powerful and talented. Otherwise, Orochimaru-sama wouldn't have him between his best…

¤

A ginger was hiding in the bushes. She was waiting for something, maybe a sign. Around her was the forest, full of deadly creatures and tricky features. Her name was Tayuya.

Tayuya was one of the Five. She wasn't too tall, but she wasn't a midget either. She kept her red hair long and wore an odd cap to keep it from disturbing her eyes. She wasn't as strong as her mates, but she had proved to be enough to be included in the elite team – though she had been the last –. And who were the other four? Those selected by the great Orochimaru-sama.

The girl took a kunai from the little bag attached to her belt. She would probably need it, not for hurting her enemy directly, but for using it as a diversion. She knew quite well her opponents wouldn't be as inexperienced to fall for obvious traps.

_Crack._

'Crap!' she thought before changing her position, getting ready for the action. If it was who she thought, this would be really hard. 'I hope it's not Kimimaro-kun…' and she remained silent, observing, waiting for a shadow to appear.

Kimimaro was the first of the Five. He was always calm and silent, but a bit too serious. His eyes were emerald green and his hair as white as snow. There was always an awe aura around him. The young man was the best of the five and the most respected ninja after his master.

Then came Sakon. This guy was rather weird, but his strength was obvious for most. He had an incredible speed and reflexes; his techniques were awesome as well. To make him look even more dangerous, a head hung from the back of his neck. This was his older brother, Ukon, who slept inside his body. Nobody knew how this was possible, but it was a fact that they worked together.

The third was Kidoumaru, probably the oddest-looking of the Five. He had not two, but six arms. His arachnid abilities and techniques were obvious. He could spit a substance similar to spider webs and use them to make weapons, capture enemies and to create shields and other types of defense. His abilities with taijutsu were never tested, though. Nobody had ever managed to get a close-range fight with him.

The fourth member was Jiroubou. He looked rather funny, with a weird haircut and his fat body. Despite his appearance, he was also very strong in battles. He could create earth barriers which drained the trapped victim's chakra. His attacks were basically earth-based, but he had also other tricks yet to be revealed…

Long minutes passed until the girl couldn't take it any more. She stood up and looked at the open spot that lied in front of her. As she expected, there was nobody to be seen.

'Maybe they've set me a trap…' Tayuya then proceeded to move carefully and almost making no sound. Now she was far from her previous spot. She was expecting a back attack, but nothing came to her.

Feeling better Tayuya stood fully, attempting to walk somewhere else, but as she lifted her right foot, the earth below her shook. "CRAP!"

She jumped forward and practically clinged to the first branch she found. The ginger tossed her kunai to the attacking spot as quick as she could, knowing that it was Jioubou. '_Stupid fatass…!_'

As expected, the kunai bounced and hit the trunk of a nearby tree. Tayuya didn't stay to watch the rest, as she had to shift her position quickly to avoid being trapped. In the air she managed to see a round figure a few feet from her. _Great_… and she took a few shuriken. Sure that these wouldn't work at all, she aimed, still in the middle of her jump.

The star-shaped objects flew directly to the man, but he was fast enough to dodge them. He then ran to her, clearly willing to harm her. His face showed no expression.

"Jiroubou, you fucking fatass! Don't waste your time...!" the girl spat, avoiding his attacks. This seemed to affect the man, who spoke:

"Tayuya! Girls should not speak like that! I've told you a thousand times–!" a fist smashed him under his chest. Then came several kicks and to finish the combo, a strong punch on his nose. '_Gotcha!_' laughed the girl.

She ran before the man could stand up again. She had been lucky so far… but she still had to reach the village.

Still running, she spotted Sakon, who seemed to be looking for someone. 'One more…' and she took some more kunais. Aiming at the man, she reminded herself that this was a tricky one…

'This is my chance!' and she lifted her right arm to toss the weapons… but a hand held her wrist.

"My, my. A bit desperate, aren't we?" a young man smiled evilly at her.

"Sakon!" she shouted "But you were…"

"My brother and I look very similar… but you already know that." And he took her other wrist.

"Fuck." She was trapped. Smiling, Sakon looked at his brother, who was coming closer and they secretly plotted a punishment for the girl who had thought she could defeat them so easily.

'_Think, Tayuya! THINK!_' Ukon was almost there. If he got there…

And she suddenly had an idea. Half jumping, the ginger opened her legs, giving the twins a double kick right on their stomachs.

"ACK!" Cried Sakon, letting her go and falling to the ground. Ukon didn't speak, but his face reflected pain. 'Great!' thought Tayuya. Sakon was dangerous, but Ukon was the worst, being able to fusion his body to anyone he wanted and attacking from any spot of their own.

But they weren't finished. She'd have to deal with them sooner or later…

She started running, trying to keep her distance from the brothers to figure a new strategy. As she got closer to the village, the girl noticed something was not right. It was silent… too calm.

Looking back to check whether there was somebody following her, she tripped with a small rock and fell… but never touched the ground.

'Wha?'

"Your eagerness to escape distracts you, Tayuya. You don't even realize you're falling into my traps…" Kidoumaru emerged from the woods. Two or three spiders roamed around his arms, eager to jump on their prey.

Tayuya tried to move, but her limbs were firmly stuck to the giant spider web. Her hands were free, though… but she doubted they'd be of any use if she couldn't reach her kunais or shuriken. 'Like they'll be of any use… Kidoumaru's web cannot be cut with normal weapons…' The ginger could only move her neck, her hands… and her feet.

"Fuck!" she cried as the annoying bugs got impatient on their master's arms. She hated _Kidoumaru's_ mascots, and for a very good reason: they did whatever he told them to do and they were wilder than any normal spider. Now their little black eyes were staring at her, waiting.

'Will I always be trapped like this?' she complaint silently. She'd get seriously punished for this…

"Ok, guys. Go if you want it so badly."

"WHAT! NO! STOP!"

The arachnid man laughed as his 'friends' jumped on the desperate girl and began to walk hysterically all over her body. This made her shriek with anger and disgust. She couldn't bear those hairy little legs!

"Ha, ha, ha! Have some fun!"

"Fuck you, spider freak!" she tried to get the bugs off her. Her fast attempt of movements made the whole web shake a little, but this didn't seem to affect the annoying things. They simply went on with their constant and irritant tap-tap, like there was no tomorrow.

Tayuya could almost hear them saying _'We'll have some fun before biting you…' _and began panicking. Would she ever get out of this?

The answer flew straight to her attacker's head. He dodged the projectile easily and turned around, alert. Tayuya looked at the place the thing had stabbed. It was a bone.

'Wait! That means…'

Another bony dagger came in Kidoumaru's direction, but he avoided it again. This one ended up cutting two strings of the web, which freed Tayuya's right leg.

'Holy shit! I'm lucky!'

"Come out, Kimimaro! We can have fun together!" Kidoumaru seemed eager to fight. He turned around completely and scanned his surroundings. "Want me to find you?"

"Actually, I found you." A calm voice came from behind Tayuya. She got goose bumps as the man walked past her. He didn't pay attention to her at all.

Kidoumaru mumbled something like '_fun, fun, fun!' _and made himself some weapons with his disgusting web-liquid. The newly acquired daggers froze instantly and looked very sharp.

Soon, a shower of sharp objects flew everywhere, but the ninjas managed to dodge them with ease. Many of these objects cut the web that imprisoned Tayuya. The girl couldn't avoid all of them due to her situation, so she got several cuts on her arms and legs.

Finally free, she took a flute from her pocket and began to play desperately. The melody was dissonant and threatening, very much for the fight. Soon, a large body appeared behind her and the girl proceeded to give commands with her tunes. The giant jumped into the cutting tornado and made the two men stop for a brief moment.

Kimimaro didn't look in her direction, but Kidoumaru did.

"How could you…" but he was cut off by a powerful strike. The white haired man had taken the opportunity Tayuya gave him.

Half smiling, she turned around and ran as fast as she could. She knew those two would fight for a long time, since they were very strong. 'I only hope Jiroubou and Sakon aren't nearby…'

And the gods heard her prayers. She was the first one to get to the Sound Village before noon.

An hour later Sakon arrived to the gates as well. He looked slightly annoyed, but his expression changed once he saw the girl.

"Hey, Tayuya. You got away easily today. Next time it won't be that way." He smiled evilly.

"You wish." She smirked "I'm not _that_ bad after all…"

"Oh, no. You just need some more training. Wanna train with me tomorrow?" Ukon made a choking sound at his brother's last phrase. Oh, boy. He had forgotten Ukon was _always_ with him…

"I'm fine." She replied.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but Kimimaro arrived, interrupting his thoughts. The tall one walked past the other two and sat on a big rock nearby.

"Your time was good." He commented, closing his eyes. That was something he did often.

Soon Kidoumaru jumped into the scene. He looked beaten-up, but he was happy. The last one to come was Jiroubou.

"I got lost…" the fat man said apologetically.

"Kidoumaru, you know I HATE your spiders!" Tayuya looked at the six-armed man angrily.

"But you know, we're supposed to fight as in a real battle!"

"Sakon, give me something to eat." Ukon interrupted.

"Ask Jiroubou. He's got everything you want." His brother replied.

Jiroubou looked puzzled.

"Huh?"

And the five laughed. Then a calm chat began between them. Things like 'you've improved' and 'I didn't expect that…' were said over and over. A gray haired man came toward the group. He wore glasses.

"Kabuto-san!" the five greeted. They were in a good mood.

The addressed one looked emotionless, as usual. He looked carefully at the others and asked:

"Did you successfully complete today's training?" they all nodded. "Good. Orochimaru-sama wants you to be the best at everything, so don't _forget_ any of his instructions." And he eyed Sakon for a split second. His glance went then from Kimimaro to Jiroubou.

Tayuya knew why he had stressed _that_ word. They were supposed to fight as if they were enemies. No mercy. That way they'd improve their skills, theoretically.

She knew that to 'forget' an order in this case was to help a team mate or avoid him/her. She didn't like this, but Master was right. If they wanted to be worthy of his trust they'd have to do whatever he told them to. Even kill. Even attack their own buddies. Even commit suicide or a similar self-sacrifice.

"You know, there are several punishments that can make death seem Heaven." Stated Kabuto before leaving.

The girl flinched. What could be worse than death? She didn't want to know…

"Let's eat." Jiroubou nearly whined.

¤

That afternoon the Five were sitting on the ground, not far away from their village. They were waiting for Orochimaru-sama's next instructions.

"You know, it's kinda boring to be sitting here doing nothing." Complaint Sakon after a while "I wonder when there'll be some action…" and he rested his back against the tree behind him.

"If you're that bored, go train some time. We need to be prepared." Replied Kimimaro, his eyes closed. He always seemed concentrated and distant from everybody.

"You're no fun!" spat Sakon, not moving from his place "I already mastered all of my jutsus, why train more?" and he closed his eyes as well.

"…" the white haired man didn't seem to pay attention to this last comment.

A shadow moved from the branches of the nearest group of trees. Nobody paid attention as it crept closer to the group. But before it could make its appearance, Jiroubou spoke.

"Cut the hide-and-go-seek games, Kidoumaru. We need to focus." And the arachnid man fell and landed on his feet. He seemed amused at his mate's comment and laughed carelessly. This seemed to piss the fat one, but he didn't say anything.

"I'm just testing you guys. I'm bored. We've been like this since noon. Orochimaru-sama hasn't shown himself for two days!" he eyed the four people sitting in front of him "Who knows when we'll go on another killing spree mission!" he sounded rather melancholic this time, like he was missing the taste of blood. Tayuya sighed and Sakon opened his eyes.

"He's right, you know. I want to have some fun!"

"Then go train with Kidoumaru." Offered Kimimaro, still in his meditative position.

Sakon glared at him and got up. He walked in circles for a few seconds and then stopped in the middle of the circle. He looked at the only girl sitting there and called her name. She didn't react. She was watching something, apparently. Sakon followed her gaze and found the silent Kimimaro. Gosh, maybe she was looking past him…

"EH, Tayuya!" the girl finally blinked.

"Huh?" she looked at the man standing in front of her "Wazzup, Sakon?"

"Come train with me! I've just realized there's something I have yet to perfect!" and he offered his hand to help her get up. But she didn't do anything.

"Go away. I don't wanna move from here. Kidoumaru said he was bored too. Go with him." And she returned to what she was doing. This pissed the blue-haired man.

"Fine." And he went away, ignoring the six-armed guy standing next to him. "Like I want to…"

And the minutes passed slowly. It was a hot summer afternoon and there didn't seem to be much movement in the village. Everything had been too calm and silent for the team's taste. They needed to do something or they'd go mad.

Tayuya got up and yawned. Kidoumaru was right: it was boring to just sit and wait orders. She wondered how Kimimaro could stand that. He looked so self-confident… That was surely calming. He never seemed to worry about anything.

Before she could go, Kabuto showed up with his neutral expression. He was brief when he spoke.

"Where's Sakon?" He asked first.

"Unno. Maybe he went to play in the woods…" joked Kidoumaru. Kabuto glared at him before proceeding.

"Fine. Make sure he gets the message, as I won't repeat myself." Everyone fell silent, waiting. "Ok, Orochimaru-sama's been planning this for some time, as you know. We're looking for these ancient scrolls which may be very useful. There's not a single hint for their location, but we know that they are six. You are to find them as soon as possible. No flaws or mistakes will be tolerated." He looked carefully at the four people.

"But where do we begin?" asked a nervous Tayuya. The gray-haired man didn't answer immediately.

"We already have a few spies, but since you are the elite bodyguards of our master, I assume you'll be able to handle it yourselves."

Silence.

"I take my leave." And he disappeared in the shadows.

Nobody had noticed it was now evening. Time seemed to play sometimes, thought Tayuya.

"I'm hungry." Said Kidoumaru before jumping into the treetops and going away. Jiroubou mumbled something about his dinner as well and walked toward the village. That left Kimimaro and Tayuya alone. The girl became a bit nervous after Kabuto's message.

"I don't know what the bloody hell I am going to do… This seems even harder than our last mission…" and she sat on the ground, not too far away from the man. He looked at her for some time and replied:

"Orochimaru-sama chose us to take care of this task. He trusts us and he thinks we're capable of doing it. Why do you doubt that? Never lack of confidence in yourself." He knew that she hadn't spoken particularly to him, but this could calm her down. She looked up at him. He didn't change his expression, but his eyes were still looking at hers.

"I… thank you, Kimimaro…" the girl slowly got up. She smiled and added "You really know how to make people less nervous!" He didn't reply at this. Tayuya didn't mind and announced that she was heading back to the Hidden Sound Village. Without a word he looked at her go. When she was no longer visible, the man changed his sitting position. He half-smiled.

¤

Back in her little house, Tayuya checked the fridge in her kitchen. There wasn't anything left, fuck! She'd have to stop by somebody else's: she didn't feel like shopping or anything. _'Let's see… who might have something to share?'_ she thought, filling a glass with water. She first thought of Jiroubou, but she discarded the idea: he might not want to share _his_ precious food… yeah. His tummy gave testimony.

_Sakon eats for two_, she laughed mentally. _Kidoumaru sometime eats things I'm sure a normal person can't find edible…_ _and Kimimaro…_ well, she didn't know the guy enough to imagine his feeding preferences.

'Kabuto-san doesn't seem the kind of person who would allow somebody to try his cooking… if he cooks.' And the girl assumed that she'd starve for that night. 'I need to get used to this: I'm sure our next mission will include traveling a lot. And it's not like we're staying in any luxury hotels or inns…'

And she went to her bed.

Outside, on the dark streets, some ninjas walked, begging for a cool breeze. This summer seemed the hottest of all.

Inside the biggest and most impressing building sat Orochimaru. His long, black hair was covering half of his face as he stared into the darkened sky. He needed those scrolls soon, but he knew he'd have to be careful. He could push his subordinates to hurry up the process, but that would be suspicious. He knew that the Konoha fools were still looking for him. They were even suspecting of his village. What a good thing they hadn't found it yet. There'd be a lot of problems if it was discovered before he could achieve his goals.

A pale finger ran through his white face. He frowned slightly.

"Kabuto." He called. The man appeared a second after.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama?"

"Did you deliver my message to the Five?" his yellow eyes moved from one star to another.

"I have, but the second wasn't there with them. I told them to tell him as well." He didn't move from his position.

"Hum… make sure he knows by tomorrow." He stated, his eyes becoming unfocused. "I want all of them to begin at once."

"Yes." And he disappeared.

Again on his own, the pale man went over his plans. He didn't really need the six scrolls that early, but the sooner they were at his disposition, the better. He wanted to be sure nobody could stand against him. Not even that annoying village of Konoha. Once everything was ready…

And he laughed.

§

_Yay! The first chapter of my second story! I hope you'll read and review! Please! I love to get reviews!_

_I've been a bit stuck with LtLA, but I'll update it as soon as possible. I'm trying to write more about fights and those kinds of things. I also wanted to write something about Naruto I love that manga! (I haven't watched the anime… yet!)_

_I'll also write the news on my bio. Check it if you want!_

_If you got any questions, just ask Thank you for reading!_

_RL._


	3. Chapter Two

**The Sound of Heartache**

**2. A Long Day**

The stars began to fade as the sun rose slowly to welcome a new day. It didn't take long before the sky became bright blue and the weather warm. Summers in the Sound Village were always too hot… so most of the ninjas either got up too early or slept the heat away.

Tayuya couldn't. She was one of Orochimaru-sama's five elite bodyguards. Plus, he had given them a mission the day before and she didn't want to mess anything up. The girl had never been punished before, but she still feared the pale man's wrath. The mere sight of Master would make the bravest ninja flinch…

The ginger looked at her alarm clock. 6:07. She had woken up earlier than usual: normally it woke her up at 6:30. Setting it off, she stretched her arms and back and fell on her pillow. She didn't want to get up at all, but there was no option.

The light wasn't enough to see anything clearly; the sun would come soon. The girl was tempted to go back to dreamland.

'There's something I forgot… but what is it?' the girl thought to herself. 'Let's see: yesterday we were in the woods, fighting. Then Kabuto-san came and…' her eyes shot open.

"Fuck! Sakon doesn't know! I bet nobody told him yet!" Tayuya got up in a flash, unaware that she was actually screaming. She got dressed as fast as she could and went outside. Remembering to lock the door and putting the keys away, the girl walked through the earthy streets of the Sound Village, hoping that the blue-haired twins were already awake.

The streets were almost empty. Of course, it was only ten past six in the morning!

Tayuya knew where her teammates lived, but she had never actually gone to visit when they weren't on a mission. She stood at the door, knocking lightly. The lights were off and there didn't seem to be anyone inside. Not a single snore.

'Well, I doubt he snores….' She knocked the door again, this time making sure he'd wake up.

"Hey Sakon! Ukon! Whoever! It's me, Tayuya!" She waited. Nobody answered.

"I've got a message to deliver!" she tried again, but nobody came to open the door. No one would take as long as the twins were apparently. Surely one of them had heard the noise… and in case it was Ukon, he'd probably wake up his brother. The ginger decided they weren't home, so she walked away. Now the problem was: where was Sakon? And would anyone tell him before the morning's meeting?

Kabuto-san would surely talk to them again at eight or seven thirty, and the Five were supposed to know everything by then… but one of them didn't. And that'd cost dearly.

So Tayuya walked aimlessly through the streets. The creepy man didn't seem to be anywhere around. He was commonly found at home or at the gates of the village…

'Wait… The gates? Maybe he is in the forest!' And the girl ran, hoping she would find the man there. Now more nins began to roam the streets, go hunting or open their shops. Some greeted the girl respectfully; others flinched just at the sight of her. For the Five that was almost a routine.

She once stopped to ask a young male ninja whether he had seen 'the Second' pass by. At his negative answer the girl decided it'd be useless to talk to the people, as they would just try to run away for fear to Orochimaru-sama. '_Hell!_ I'm _not_ Kabuto-san! And it's not like I'm gonna rip them to bits…' she muttered returning to what she had been doing all morning.

The forest was a few steps away. Tayuya calculated she had been wandering for about forty minutes now. 'He _better_ be in the forest! Or else I'll let him just _die_ by Orochimaru-sama's hand…'

But she didn't have to worry: there were fresh footprints on the ground, a foot away from the gates. Well, not so fresh – maybe from the previous evening… but that didn't matter. It _had_ to be him.

'But what if it isn't him?' she wondered suddenly. 'Well, I'm sure the others are looking for him too… I can't be the only one doing this…'

And she followed the marks. Slowly but surely she'd get her reward: 'not being killed…' and she sighed.

Her feet took her to a little cleared space; much like the one the Five had been the previous day. On the farthest corner (if it could be called that) sat Sakon. His eyes were closed and had a slight look of lack of sleep. He was not moving, but Tayuya knew he was awake. She stood a few feet away from him and took a deep breath before she finally spoke.

"Sakon." He opened his eyes and looked straight at hers.

"What?" he spat.

"Geez! You sound even grumpier that Jiroubou when he's hungry!" she scowled. "At least say 'hello'!" and she glared at him. The man suddenly seemed to wake up completely and his expression changed.

"I'm sorry… err… Hello Tayuya?" he attempted a puppy face but failed miserably.

"Drop it. It's ok." She sighed. "I came to tell you something."

"Really?" his eyes lit up. "What is it?" and he stood to face her at almost the same height. He couldn't stand to look up to talk to other people.

"Yes. It's a message from Orochimaru-sama." His face stiffened.

"What did he say?" he asked apathetically.

'Wow… Mr. Mood swings!' she thought and she proceeded to tell him everything Kabuto had said on their last meeting. Sakon listened but didn't pay as much attention as the girl wanted him to. If he got _anything_ wrong, they'd all pay. But the Five couldn't fail! They were the elite group!

"Ok, got it. So when is today's meeting?" he asked when she had finished.

"Just about now." Answered a deep, calm voice. Both ninjas looked at the entrance of the village – which wasn't too far away – to see Kimimaro. Tayuya flinched almost automatically and Sakon frowned.

"What? How did you know I was here, Kimimaro?" asked the blue-haired man, clearly annoyed. Tayuya couldn't tell if it was because of their last chat. But Kimimaro seemed unaffected by this and remained silent, watching the two ninjas.

"I just knew it." And he walked away. Tayuya began to follow, getting lost in her thoughts. Sakon didn't want to be left alone, so he went too.

The ginger was looking straight at the white-haired man's back. Then, something she didn't expect happened: he turned around to face her and, looking at her straight into her eyes, whispered loud enough for her to hear:

"You did well. Thank you." And continued walking. Tayuya blushed slightly; she didn't know how to react… because she had done what any of the Five would have. It could have been either her, Jiroubou, Kidoumaru or Kimimaro. It was part of their duties, after all, to inform their mates about anything they didn't know.

Sakon was a few steps away from her. He wasn't looking ahead: he found the sky more interesting.

The meeting took place in a little room in Kabuto's place. Orochimaru-sama wasn't there.

"Ok, Five." Began Kabuto-san. "Your mission starts today. I assume you all know what it is about." He paused, looking at the other five ninjas. They all nodded.

"Good. Although you're going to find out everything for yourselves, there's a little information we can still give you for a start. Nobody can begin a search out of nothing, after all." And he proceeded to explain the details of the hints they had.

"Of course this" he pointed to a tiny red cross on a map "is where you may find what you need to go on. Or spies couldn't get anything else, but they're sure about this." And the Five looked closely at the old paper in the middle of the circle the six ninjas formed. It was either a town or ruins not too far away from the Sound Country. It didn't look too hard at all, but some of them already had their doubts.

"I don't like this…" muttered Jiroubou, frowning.

"Me neither." Stated Kidoumaru, serious.

Kimimaro didn't speak a word. His eyes were closed.

"And why is that?" asked Tayuya curiously.

"Cause it'll be hard to get good food there…" Jiroubou didn't notice he was thinking out loud. Five pairs of eyes started at him. Some frowned, others looked amused.

Jiroubou was puzzled.

¤

Soon the meeting was over. It didn't take more than half an hour – shorter than the usual ones – and the Five split up to get everything ready before the departure. It'd be a long journey, after all.

Tayuya entered her house sighing. She wasn't supposed to take too many things with her: just the necessary for a survival journey.

'Yeah' she thought sarcastically 'that's the perfect name for it…' and she went to the kitchen. 'Nothing that rots too soon…' and she took a bag and put sandwiches, bread (just in case) and other stuff that she thought would be necessary. Then some bottles with water '_I guess it's the standard drink for trips_' and some paper napkins '_I'm clean after all._'

'What else?'

The girl entered her room and took a sleeping bag. She knew that it'd probably be only a burden, but she didn't want to be cold at night. Plus, after summer came autumn with its frosty winds. If she caught a cold it would be terrible for her skills and performance: she would even ruin everything. Ad if _that_ happened…

She shivered. Suddenly Tayuya felt cold. Orochimaru-sama would definitely reward her with a most painful death.

"But that's not gonna happen, damn it!" she said aloud to the empty house to give herself some more confidence.

Feeling a bit better the ginger finished packing her small bag and left it near the front door: she'd rest a bit. Lying down on her bed, just for a few minutes, she closed her eyes. Her team mates would take a bit more, maybe. Or at least that fatass Jiroubou… if he packed any food, of course.

A pair of green eyes flashed in her thoughts. She opened hers, uneasy. Had she been there long?

"Doesn't matter…" the girl got up and headed to the entrance to pick up her things and go away. She stopped for a few seconds when her hand reached the doorknob. She looked back to her home. Her private and safe place.

How long would it be before she returned? She'd surely miss her comfortable bed with its feather pillows…

"I'll come back." And she opened the door, went outside and locked it before meeting her team mates at the east gates. She hoped she wasn't the last one to arrive.

The red-haired girl was lucky: there were only three of them; Jiroubou was missing. Relieved, the girl walked to them looking more confident. The others were standing next to the wooden gates, and as she could tell, they hadn't been there for long. All of them carried small bags similar to hers.

"Ha ha! I win!" Sakon said to Kidoumaru as the ginger got closer. "I told you she'd come before Jiroubou!" and he extended his hand to the arachnid ninja. This one mumbled something and gave the other some money.

"What?" asked the girl, a bit annoyed.

"Nuthin'." Replied both men, trying to look innocent.

"Just in time." Interrupted Kimimaro, but he wasn't talking to Tayuya. The four looked to see the fat one coming. His bag was much bigger than the ones the others had.

"Needed some breakfast, ya know…" was his only excuse.

"Ok, now we're ready!" beamed Sakon, eager to leave.

"Hold on. Here comes Kabuto-san!" Kidoumaru stopped him. He pointed to the mentioned man, who was in fact heading toward the five.

"Kimimaro. Come with me." The gray haired man commanded and the other followed. They spoke for a while and Kabuto handed him something (the other four couldn't see) and they kept talking.

"I wonder what they're talking about…" Sakon looked at them for a while before turning his attention to his other three mates.

"Probably something important." Commented Jiroubou, thoughtful.

"Of course it's something important, you silly!" replied Kidoumaru "But I want to know why he isn't telling us too! We're the Five, after all!"

"Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll know eventually." Tayuya was talking more to herself than to her companions, but it was the same.

Sakon stood next to the girl. She didn't notice it until he spoke again.

"So, Tayuya, what do you think this little trip will be like?"

"Yeah, trip. It's a freakin' journey we're talking about, you jackass!" she spat, angrily.

"Ok, ok. Easy…"

"You wish."

"Stop it, you two!" intruded Jiroubou "And Tayuya! You better watch your language!" She made an offensive gesture to him in response.

But before they could continue, Kimimaro came to stop them.

"I've been away for five minutes and you're already fighting?" his fellows couldn't tell whether he was joking or not, but they decided to just shut up. The white-haired man took a few steps forward and told them all to go.

As the five got farther from their village they began a quiet but nice chat.

"So who's got the map? It's good to know where we're heading." Kidoumaru was content: soon they'd be fighting and having fun!

"I got it." Replied the fat ninja, as he took it out. He studied it for some minutes before confirming their direction. "For now we have to look like travelers, but as we get closer to this marked place we'll have to sneak." He mumbled to himself, but everyone else could hear. They were pretty sure that this mission looked too easy to be true: just to sneak in a town or ruins and get some information about six ancient scrolls? Oh, and get them, of course.

¤

The Five walked for about five hours before they sat for lunch. Tayuya took out her sandwiches and was not surprised that almost everyone had some too. However, Kidoumaru's looked rather… odd. What the hell he was eating, she didn't want to know. She had to eat too, for God's sake!

Jiroubou's lunch consisted of too many things, as expected. He ate as if there was no tomorrow. Sakon choked with his water before laughing at his fat fellow.

"What?" he asked angrily.

"It's just that…" more laughter "Your food won't run away, you know!"

"Shut up!"

Tayuya was amused. She loved to pick on Jiroubou because he got irritated so easily. Sakon was being funny even without intending it. She then looked at Kimimaro, who had just finished eating. Gosh, was he so fast? Did he eat anything at all? He stared back at her, making her blush again.

"What is it Tayuya?" he asked, half-smiling.

"Err… eh… nothing, he he he." She scratched her head lightly. And she hid her face before some napkins, pretending she was cleaning her mouth and then blowing her nose.

Sakon burped.

Jiroubou mumbled something and frowned.

The girl felt amused again. She even giggled this time. Maybe this journey wouldn't be as long as it looked?

When everybody was ready to leave (they had to wait for Jiroubou) the Five sounds headed toward the mountains. If the map was alright, they'd be arriving there by the following day's midnight or so. Then they would have to be quick and silent: they didn't know what to expect yet.

They walked all afternoon without a stop. None of them spoke too much: they had to save their strength for what was about to come. Sometimes they sent one of them ahead or backwards whether to check the following areas or to make sure nobody was following them. Even travelers were suspicious, especially when they were foreigners.

But nobody was spying on them that day. Time passed too slowly for the group's taste and several times its integrants complained (all but Kimimaro, who seemed completely focused on their mission) until the evening. Afterward they were too tired to do so.

"I'm hungry…" was Jiroubou's last complain.

¤

A man wearing glasses was sitting on a roof. He was looking at the blood-stained sky with an apathetic expression on his face. His shoulder-long hair was tied; otherwise it would be annoying.

'I wonder if it's the right time…' he thought, looking for stars in the crimson evening. 'He sometimes doesn't know despite he's the boss...' and he took of his glasses to clean tem with his clothes. His sight wasn't that bad… but the current times urged him to be alert. Anything could be expected. Anything.

"And talking to him will just make things worse…" Kabuto thought aloud "Considering his situation and his origins… Hell I'm almost the same!" and, realizing he could be heard, the man sealed his lips and stood up. He looked around.

Nope, there wasn't anyone around. In addition, he was on the roof of Orochimaru-sama's place. Nobody would venture there unless it was strictly necessary: Orochimaru-sama was already dangerous, but was even scarier these days.

"Kabuto."

_And talking of the Devil…_

The man went inside through a trap door and hurried to his master. He was, as usual, sitting on his chair, staring at the darkening sky through a large window.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama?"

"No stiffness, boy. I just want to talk." At the silence of his subordinate, the elder added "I'm just bored. Sitting here with nothing to do but to wait is terribly annoying."

"But it will be prudent not to take actions right now; the other countries are aware of danger…"

"That's true. I wonder if my bodyguards will be able to handle this by themselves…" but he didn't look like he was lacking confidence.

"We're not at a war, master. The enemy's attention is somewhere else.

"But the enemy is strong. You already know that. But my ninjas are the best."

"But, Orochimaru-sama, if anything went wrong… what would happen?" Kabuto was too serious now.

"That will not happen. I assume you gave them my triumph card already." The black-haired man turned to face the other with his golden eyes. Kabuto knew that look. His master knew him well too.

"Yes, master. I did as you told me." A short silence followed.

Orochimaru returned his gaze to the landscape in front of him. Kabuto, however, didn't take his eyes off his master.

"What is it, Kabuto?" even without looking, the snake like man knew there was something troubling his right hand man.

"… How do we know they are going to use it in time? What if they can't handle it?"

"Oh, they will. I trust you gave them instructions already. Plus, I need them to use it. Especially Kimimaro. The others are unimportant for that purpose, but it will be of great help in this quest." He paused. "Now, is there anything else bothering your thoughts?" he grinned.

Kabuto thought about it for a minute. Yes, he had given the Five everything they needed (according to Orochimaru-sama's plans) and none of them were stupid. They would get the hint in no time. And if they didn't, then Kimimaro would take care of the rest.

Looking back at his master, the man with glasses answered:

"No, master."

"Good." And the night came.

¤

The Five had gathered near a river. Sakon was looking for something in his bag. Kidoumaru was nowhere to be seen; Jiroubou seemed worried about something.

Tayuya was refilling some of her empty bottles with the water that flowed calmly, making musical sounds as it crossed the forest. When she finished with the last one the girl stored them safetly in her bag… and noticed something. Something was missing.

"HEY!" she yelled "Who the fuck took the rest of my food!" and she turned directly to Jiroubou, who had a guilty expression.

"Yeah!" spat Sakon, joining her immediately "I'm sure it was you, fatass!"

"But… Sakon! Didn't you…" he looked nervously at the man with blue hair "… Didn't you eat it all for lunch?"

"Obviously not! My bag is empty too!" and he looked at Tayuya, hoping she would say something else.

She didn't. Not for lacking a response, but for a lack of time. Somebody else interrupted with a reasonable answer.

"What's the point in fighting? If there's no food, we'll have to hunt it down. We are ninjas trained for this kind of missions and I'm sure there are a lot of edible things in a dense forest like this."

It was Kimimaro. Serious and sensible, as usual.

"He's right." Agreed Tayuya "Continuing this fight may be fun, but I'm already hungry. Go hunt something, inferior fatass!" she grinned.

"What!" Jiroubou looked offended. "Why?"

"Cause you ate my food, idiot. That's why." She smirked.

"Good one, Tayuya!" beamed Sakon, amused.

"Well, I'm not going alone-"

"What is it, fatty? Are you scared of this frightening forest at night?" Sakon mimicked a scared kid.

"It's not that, you fairy!" replied the other "It'll be faster if at least three of us go. And there'll be more food too!" the others snorted.

"That was the real reason!" pointed Tayuya, now laughing.

"Ok, I'll go look for Kidoumaru…" began Sakon, but a head popped from the bushes.

"I'm here." The arachnid man said smiling.

"Good. Your spider webs are perfect for traps. Bring some good preys!" ordered Tayuya.

"Yes ma'am!" joked the ninja and disappeared. Jiroubou went in a different direction and Sakon promised he'd get something really yummy.

"We'll set the fire then." Tayuya and Kimimaro were left alone. The ginger cut some branches from the nearby trees and placed them to start a fire. When it was all done she sat in front of the tiny flame, waiting for it to grow. Kimimaro wasn't around… where had he gone?

The girl got up and looked around. If it wasn't that Kimimaro was a serious ninja, she would have thought he was hiding for fun. Surely wasn't.

She took a few steps, not intending to go too far from their improvised camping site. 'Ah, there he is!' she thought when she spotted him. He was sitting near the river.

"Hey." Tayuya said a bit nervous "what are you doing here, Kimimaro?" He gestured her to sit next to him and she did, a bit hesitantly. He looked at the singing water and then spoke.

"Just came here to think."

"About what?"

"… Things…" this didn't sound so sure.

"Oh…" she didn't know what else to say. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it.

Minutes passed. Silence was unbearable for the ginger.

"So, these guys are taking too long…" she complained to the trees. She wasn't sure if Kimimaro was in the mood for more of that.

"Tayuya." He called.

"Y-yes?" she was taken by surprise.

"I want to make sure of something." He replied, now turning to her, but she was looking at the green trees.

"What is it?" she didn't move. But a hand took her chin and turned it slowly to its owner.

"Look at me." His emerald eyes met her hazel ones.

"…" they stared at each other for a while. Tayuya knew she was blushing, and she didn't want him to know. Thank God it was dark…

Hold on! Was he blushing too? Whether it was her imagination or not, the girl was sure she had seen a slight pink shade on his pale skin. But it was almost invisible.

Tayuya was going to speak, but somebody chose that moment to make appearance.

"Hey, guys! Got lots of fruits and a few rabbits…" Sakon was practically dancing. The girl quickly stood up and eyed the newcomer oddly.

"… Food." And he fell silent.

A shadow came with its six hands carrying stuff.

"Hello there!" greeted Kidoumaru "Look what I've got!" and he showed his fellows about seven rabbits and a few fish. "I'm sure this'll be enough for us! Let Jiroubou starve…" and he stopped. The other three were looking at him.

The spider man was confused.

"Er… did I miss something?"

§

_Chapter two finished! I'm sorry I took so long to post it…there was a little lack of inspiration. In addition, I'm working with LtLA at the same time, but that's another story. If you got any questions about anything, feel free to ask! Reviews are welcome, but no flames. If you got a critique, it'll be appreciated if it is constructive._

_For news about any of my stories, check my bio!_

_Thank you for reading! And review!_

_RaineL._


	4. IMPORTANT!

**IMPORTANT!**

Hello everyone! In case you haven't checked my bio (the news section) I'm going away for some time (I don't know how long) so my stories (LtLA and TSoHA) won't be updated this month and the next at least, due to the incoming work and studies. BUT I'll write as much as I can whenever I find some free time, so please don't get mad at me. This is something we all have to do sometime in our lives.

Thank you for everything!

RaineL.


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